Roman Lensing

The board meeting addressed several administrative and fiscal matters. Key topics included a discussion regarding the public transparency of closed sessions for personnel recruitment, a review of quarterly reports for the ARPA fund and Veterans Affairs, and the approval of a salary increase for the Veterans Service Officer along with the corresponding budget amendment. Additionally, the board discussed potential adjustments to health insurance premium contributions, specifically evaluating the impact of changing the county share to 70 percent and addressing concerns regarding double-covered employees.

The meeting commenced with the approval of the agenda for April 14th, 2022. A key discussion item involved Roman Lensing reviewing and approving the Fiscal Year 2023 Iowa DOT Secondary Road Budget, including projections for road use tax revenue and adjustments for right-of-way purchases and labor costs across various budget line items. Future agenda planning included adding an invoice from Neapolitan Labs for the county website utilization and noting that the county website was expected to go live that afternoon. A discussion regarding a potential state mandate for systems permits was also mentioned.

The meeting began with roll call and agenda approval. Key discussions included a data anomaly issue regarding the supervisors' department budget amendment, and a review of claims, including those for the VA totaling $270.28. The board discussed presenting materials for an upcoming event, agreeing to provide summary sheets. A significant portion of the meeting involved reviewing Iowa Code 39.22 regarding township officers, focusing on the difficulty in finding candidates and the option for the board to appoint individuals to fill vacant township clerk and trustee positions if the question passes on the general election ballot. The board also addressed vehicle maintenance issues, noting one vehicle slated for replacement and another being repurposed as a spare. Updates were provided on the transition to a new jail meal provider, which is proceeding smoothly, and concerns regarding potential increases in jail fees by Winneshiek and Bay counties, prompting a plan to discuss this further next week. Furthermore, the Sheriff's office received updated 9-1-1 equipment, including new phones and a significantly upgraded call-taker system, which was described as a major technological improvement. Finally, the Sheriff reported on attending a state-wide meeting regarding protocol for responding to disputes concerning the carbon pipeline and mentioned coordinating training for a helicopter landing zone and distributing 'Safe and Secure' identity theft prevention books throughout the county.

The meeting commenced with the approval of the agenda for June 9, 2022. A primary discussion focused on addressing an issue where an OpenElect Voting Optical Scan (OVO) machine malfunctioned at the Chickasaw North polling precinct on June 7, 2022. The Commissioner of Elections, following notification from the auditor's office, requested an administrative recount pursuant to Iowa Code 50.50 to ensure accuracy between paper ballots and electronically counted ballots. The board subsequently ordered this administrative recount, which was planned to be completed that afternoon. Future agenda items discussed included tour requests for the heritage property and the location of old boardroom chairs.

The meeting included discussions regarding the third installment of SafeTech funding and building out portions to the cities, with inquiries about budget availability for two cities. A significant portion of the discussion centered on ambulance feasibility, specifically the consensus to purchase equipment using ARPA dollars and setting up an agreement with cities for recurring costs. Financial details were reviewed concerning payments made for a second bill and remaining funds in seed money, including the need to reserve funds for publishing meeting minutes. Further discussion involved comparing cost projections for a new EMS system based on SafeTech models versus an analysis of job postings from IAMSOS, focusing on the impact of salaries and benefits. The board also discussed a resolution to have three readings in June concerning a 422D taxi levy for emergency services, with details provided on potential collection timelines and maximum levy rates. Finally, options for structuring the ambulance council were addressed, suggesting a move towards a separate entity modeled after a landfill, which would necessitate changes to the 208E structure and possibly require redrafting the 208E agreement.